Moj Prvi Time in Croatia
Introduction
"Once Brothers" is a 2010 Sports documentary about two basketball players on the Yugoslavian national team who became separated as a product of the war between prime narrator Drazen Petrovic's Croatia and friend Vlade Divac's Serbia. The story of this civil war was first told to me in my Freshman AP Human Geography class as part of a lesson, and this is all I ever knew of Croatia for a long while, and I was left viewing it as a "war-torn" nation. However, this past summer of 2022, I finally got to see it firsthand; I expected to learn a lot about a dark history and even feel a bit frightened, but this undoubtedly was not the case.
Famous Landmarks
My parents and I's one and only day in Dubrovnik began with a morning tour of the city's history, starting with a view of the skyline by aerial tramway. It was here that I learned there was nothing to be afraid of, looking at the quaint landscape where many were living their day-to-day lives. Now it was time to have some fun! The informational portion of the tour officially started with us being jealous of other tourists going on dirt buggy rides. Still, nonetheless, we marched forward on a much more educational journey. Very conveniently, our Holland America bus parked right outside the first stop in one of the most populated sections of the city, directly in front of Pile Gate. I was super excited to cross my first drawbridge and did so as I entered Dubrovnik's medieval Old Town. Along the way, we passed numerous housing units and shops located within older structures, but none were as cool (and hilarious) as the statue of Dubrovnik's Shakespeare Marin Držić! The poor playwright's bronze nose had been rubbed gold by tourists over the years, wishing for just a pinch of his luck.
Local Treasures
Soon enough, my parents and I were left to fend for ourselves in the Old Town, which proved to be pretty effortless after we found a local restaurant with yummy food and fun non-alcoholic drinks for me! Afterward, we began our own adventure, finding a crazy store with barrels of candy and an adorable ice cream shop with my favorite flavor, bubble gum. Next, we found some intriguing stores themed after local art, holidays, and, of course, ducks. Finally, it is absolutely crucial to mention that throughout this walk through the town, we saw at least 30 cats wandering around and lounging about their preferred shady spots. Indeed, many tourists were more interested in them than in the sights.
Conclusion
In the end, if it weren't for this cruise and the perchance that I would one day visit a country in which I had learned so much about in school, I never would have seen Croatia's true colors, not that of black and white, but the fascinating grey area in which every nation resides.
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